One Step Forward, Five Steps Back
by always-a-hp-girl
Summary: Romione, set during HBP, after Ron gets poisoned. Miscommunication


Ron wakes up in the hospital After just being poisoned. The first person he saw was hermione, next to him. His ears turn rather red as he remembers the dreams he just had. Her head was wrapped in her knees, she didn't realize he was awake. She wondered why she was here, they weren't exactly speaking…"Hermione?" He whispered, his voice still hoarse, wondering whether he was still dreaming about her being there with him.

Her head darted up "Ronald!" She smiled. It looks like the first time she had smiled and days. "You're alright!" She grinned. Ron suddenly forgot how to breathe. She had smiled at him after so many long months, he had almost lost count of how Long it had been. she noted his silence. "you are…. Okay, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." He added, suddenly noticing his surroundings. He was confused as to why he was in the hospital wing. "Why am I here?" he asked her.

"You were poisoned." She told him seriously. "Slughorn's wine. Harry saved you with a beozar." Ron noticed sadness in her eyes and also the dark circles.

"how long have you been in here?"

"All along." She whispered. she suddenly remembered, "Ron! Your mom and dad are here too!" Ron couldn't help but notice the slight blush as she said that she had been on his side all along, and also how quickly she had change the topics to his parents to distract him.

"They'll be so pleased to know you're alright. Fred, George and Ginny too." She rambled on.

"I will meet them afterwards," he said looking at her straight in the eye "after you tell me why you have been avoiding me and snogging random blokes who don't deserve you?"

"Excuse me?" She narrowed her eyes. "Coming from the one he's been snogging Lav-Lav all day?"

"I asked the question first" he answered curtly

"I don't think it's very fair to be throwing accusations across." She replied this question shortly.

"But Hermione, McLaggen? Seriously?"

"But Ron, Lavender? Seriously?" She thought about the daft, giggly girl she shared a dormitory with. The last few months have been the worst and she basically shifted into the library. He rolled his eyes at her as she repeated him, but he could feel a smile beginning to form on his own face seeing her smile, and they were both ended up laughing loudly "He's vile." She admitted finally.

"She's irritating" he said

"I can imagine." After laughing with her for so long he realized what he now needed to do and was determined to do what was right for everybody. "Anyway… I should go…" she admitted softly "I expect your family wants to see you" she started to get up. Ron realize that he had been staring at the box of chocolate frogs on the table next to his bed and out of instinct caught her hand, from stopping her going away from him again. He would not let her Go, especially not now that he had finally made a decision "Ron, don't be stupid," she responded to his action. "They came all the way."

"And you stayed all along too, I don't want you to leave me." He said, wondering where in the bloody hell he got the confidence from.

"Ron," she smiled "I'll come back, I promise, but right now, they're waiting to see you…"

"But why do you have to go?" He pouted slightly, reminding her of the irritating red – haired boy that she met at in the hogwarts express during her first year

"because they came all the way and family is important." She snapped and walked away without a backwards glance, so she couldn't change her mind.

Hermione hurried back to the Hospital Wing the next day, after dinner, knowing full well that his family would be gone by then. She smiled as she saw him. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

He sat up immediately, pleased to see her. "Brilliant." He told her. "Madame Pomphrey told me that I'll be able to leave tomorrow." He grinned. She smiled back at him but knew the sooner that he was discharged, the sooner they would have to face Lavender. This caused her to frown, and bit her lip.

"Tomorrow? That seems awfully soon…" She said uncertainly. "Are you sure that's correct?"

he nodded. "Now that I'm functioning." he explained. "I wanted to go today, said I felt fine, only … she-she said not to excerpt myself." He rolled his eyes.

"She's right," Hermione agreed, placing her hand on top of his without thinking. "You were POISONED, after all… You almost died, for heavens sake."

He grinned. "It'll take a lot more than that to kill me off."

"Let's not test that." She said with a small smile. She glanced down at their hands and blushed faintly. He followed her gaze down and his ears turned rather red, but he didn't pull his hands away. Instead he cleared his throat, causing her to look up suddenly at him. She had been lost in thought. Tomorrow, they would have to face Lavender and tell her… that they were…well, what WERE they?

"What is it?" Ron asked, noticing the uneasy look on Hermione's face.

Hermione sighed. "Nothing, just…thinking about things I have to do."

He frowned. "Like…schoolwork?" He couldn't believe that Hermione was choosing now of all times to think about her beloved homework.

"Er..yeah. Homework." she said, sheepishly, oblivious to Ron's thoughts. Ron's expression changed immediately. "What it is?" Hermione asked quickly, noticing the danger signs.

"You couldn't wait—I mean," he tried to formulate his thoughts. "I just-" It was hard for him to not snap at her. "Well why don't you go do it then?" he couldn't restrain himself.

Hermione drew back her hands immediately. "Ron?" she asked tentatively

He was now grouchy. "You heard me." She frowned. She shouldn't have lied, she just didn't know how to express herself. Ron, on the other hand, wanted to slap himself in the face for assuming anything could happen between the two of them.

"I'll er…be going then." she said. He didn't look at her. She got up and left and he slumped himself against his pillows, despite his speedy recovery he was starting to feel quite ill. Maybe another day or two in the hospital wing wouldn't be the worst thing for him…


End file.
